By Conor Hogan
**West Ham may be prepared to sell goalkeeper Mads Hermansen in the upcoming transfer window.**
That is the view of journalist Graeme Bailey, who recently provided an update on the Danish shot-stopper.
Hermansen moved to East London from Leicester for just over €20 million this summer, but has struggled to settle in a defensively disjointed Hammers side.
Given the nod ahead of Alphonse Areola for the Irons’ first game of the season, Hermansen conceded three times as Sunderland beat West Ham 3–0 on opening day.
He would concede a further eight goals across his next three matches before being dropped by then-boss Graham Potter for Frenchman Areola. Since the arrival of new manager Nuno Espírito Santo, Hermansen has not featured at all for the Irons.
The Danish ‘keeper has now been linked with a move away from London Stadium less than six months after his arrival — but despite an extremely shaky start, selling Hermansen could be a decision West Ham live to regret.
The former Leicester man has been far from impressive between the sticks this season, but he has only played four games — and even kept a clean sheet in one of them.
Given how frail West Ham’s defence was under Potter, it would be harsh on Hermansen not to be given an opportunity in Nuno’s side, which already looks far more resolute at the back.
Additionally, although Areola has produced some good saves in recent games against Newcastle and Burnley, he remains prone to errors — such as his fumble that led to Josh Cullen’s consolation goal for the Clarets last weekend.
Hermansen’s distribution is also much stronger than the Frenchman’s, and his ability to pick a pass could be a major asset in Nuno’s counter-attacking system.
It is also important to note that, unlike Areola, Hermansen had no pre-season with the Hammers and was returning from a groin injury that kept him out from April to July.
The Dane is still only 25 years old — young for a goalkeeper, particularly given that his competition is 32-year-old Areola and 40-year-old Łukasz Fabiański. He showed his quality in a turgid Leicester side last season, and with a more confident backline in front of him, we may yet see the best of him in a West Ham shirt.
Ultimately, Hermansen deserves an opportunity under Nuno given Areola’s shortcomings. To sell the Danish international without even testing him properly would be a senseless move — and his lack of game time this season wouldn’t help his price tag either.